The Dave Filoni Fall Plan

I was speaking with Lorn Conner last night after we finished recording this morning's video. He asked some great questions and I think it's safe to discuss them a bit more for clarification's sake on the Patreon.

Last week, I discussed that Filoni might be in the hot seat. I want to explain that according to a source -- who is knowledgeable but somewhat speculating -- the plan may have always been to create a system whereby Kathleen Kennedy wins. If Star Wars takes off under Filoni as COO, Kathy gets the credit. If Star Wars fails, Filoni takes the blame. At least, that's how it would presumably work in Hollywood and at Burbank; I'm fully aware that fans know what's really going on.

The reason that one might think Filoni is the fall guy in waiting is that he's been given the task of reviewing and approving every single script that Star Wars ever features. At the same time, he's being put up against people who would take him down in a second if he rejected their scripts. That's a heck of a position to be in. It's like judging the swing of the executioner's axe. Probably best you just be complimentary and hope your next never appears in the dislodgement bay.

Take for example The Acolyte. We're now being told that Filoni had to approve every single script. Of course, we're only finding that out once it fails miserably -- he never would have been given that sort of claim if it was doing well. That would have been the genius of Kathy and Leslye, of course. But since it's a flaming turd sandwich, Filoni is the head of the kitchen. Not Leslye, nto Kathy... they don't approve these things. But Filoni couldn't reject these scripts either. C'mon, do you really believe Dave Filoni is going to tell Leslye Headland and Kathleen Kennedy "no"?

Now that's not to absolve Filoni of how bad his tenure has turned into. Ahsoka was all his and it was all atrocious. But all of this is to say that Kathleen Kennedy put a white guy with a cowboy hat in the creative lead chair for a reason. It's so he can't say "no", he must say "yes" and he'll be the one marched from his desk when it all fails. Not Kathy.

At least, that is likely the plan...

Your pal,
Pro